Narutos search, a steadfast promise
by jennydelvecc
Summary: Naruto in his shippuden years has found info on Sasuke he’s going after him, and he’s going to keep his promise. May hold spoilers from the manga. Note: this contains Narusakura Not that i like it better then Naruhina .
1. Choice

Hey this is my first fanfic this contains spoliers from the manga and some Narusakura (not that I chose NaruSakura over NaruHinata it was just more appropriate)

Thankyou for reading

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"Absolutely not!" Tsunade raged as Naruto had told he of his plans to search for Sasuke.

"Listen, old hag the Konaha just found out information on Uchiha Sasuke, his location has been confirmed and '_Hawk' is unable to move. This is a rare opportunity! I'm going!" Naruto walked to the door and placed his hand on the knob ready to leave when Tsunade's voice stopped him._

"_Uzumaki Naruto if you walk out that door, then, then"_

"_You'll what" Naruto challenged her unfinished threat._

"_Then you'll be classified as a missing ninja" she shouted. Naruto paused; Tsunade thought she had won. But the moment passed and Naruto turned the door knob and opened the door._

"_Sorry" was the single word Naruto said as he left the anger filled office._

_Naruto passed Sakura walking down the hallway._

"_Oh hey Naruto wha-" Naruto just walked right by Sakura. She was angered at first and considered following him but she had to see Tsunade, and any way that's the direction Naruto came in._

_Sakura entered the Hokage's office. "Tsunade-sama what's wrong with Naruto"_

"_He's leaving the village"_

"_Huh? A mission?" Sakura asked._

"_No, Uzumaki Naruto is no longer a Konaha shinobi, he is a missing-nin as soon as he walks out of the Konaha gates." A look of shock hit Sakura's face, she turned and ran out the door after her leaving comrade._

_She caught up with him in the street, he was on his way to his apartment._

"_Naruto where are you going!" Sakura cried out running up beside him._

"_To pack" He didn't even look at her he just continued walking._

_Sakura grabbed Naruto by the shoulders looking him in the eye. "Are you a complete idiot. You know what will happen if you leave don't you? What, what could make you abandon your entire village" tears lingered in Sakuras eyes._

"_My promise" With that Naruto made a single hand sing and disappeared._

"_A shadow clone?" Sakura fell on her knees crying in the middle of the street._


	2. A painful godbye

Warning containes spoilers from the manga!

Some lines used in this came from the book I am writing (the "if you get hurt through the then I will die" part)

Thankyou for reading

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Naruto stood in his room packing when he felt the familiar return of his shadow clone along with the rush of information that came with him. 'So she did fallow me, this'll be harder then I thought. Now I have to deal with Sakura-chan, and she wont just let me go' Naruto thought. ' Maybe I could use kage bushin again, nah she'll probably see right through it. Oh well I'll think of something' With this Naruto deemed his backing done and left his apartment for what may be the last time.

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Naruto met little resistance as he started his way towered the village gates. He looked left and right at the destruction the late Pain had left behind. 'So much pain so much suffering just because of me. My dream, the Hokage should protect the village not the protect them; how can I live up to my dream when in the end people just die for me.' Naruto couldn't help these thoughts, they kept coming filling his head. The closer he got to the gates of Konaha the more the thoughts came, as if to assure him he was doing the right thing.

And there he was at the gate. Naruto saw another figure too, thought dwarfed by the gates he knew it was Sakura waiting for him. As he drew closer Naruto could see Sakuras eyes glistening with unshed tears. Naruto tried to walk by her, and at first succeeded but the second before his leave would be final she stopped him.

"Naruto you can't go! Not you too! What if you get hurt?" She cried out looking at the back of Narutos head.

"Then I'll bleed" He replied bluntly.

"What if its fatal?"

He turned to face Sakura and said "Then I'll die, but I will make sure Sasuke comes back before I take my last breath; Sakura I will keep my promise." She stumbled into Narutos chest sobbing into it while he held her.

'Has his chest always been so strong?' Sakura thought. 'Yes it has, he was always there supporting me I was just to blind sighted to see it and now its to late.'

"Naruto what about your dream, your life long goal. Naruto your gonna be Hokage someday! We all know it, the best!" She chocked out desperate for her friend to stay.

"How-How can I be Hokage when I've hurt so may people, when I've failed to protect the people who mean the most and when, so far, I've failed to keep my promise? Sakura I'm sor-"

"No don't say 'your sorry'" She pounded his chest, "That's what he said that's all I'll hear if you leave! Naruto you can't go!" Naruto held the weeping Sakura by the shoulders, tilting his head downward slightly to look into her eyes.

"Sakura my decision is final"

"Then take me with you!" She yelled.

"I can't you have to much potential" Sakura collapsed into his arms again. Naruto let her cry clinging to him for a few moments. Then he lifted her chin and pecked her on the lips.

"I really am sorry." Then he let go an left.

Naruto had taken only a few steps out of the village gates when a large company of Anbu black opps, lead by the Hokage appeared. "Uzimake Naruto you have cleared the village boundaries and are now a missing ninja who we will not let roam free." Tsunade declared.

Naruto chuckled "My, my so many Anbu and even the Hokage herself for a mere Genin?"

"You know very well that your skill exceeds that of even the Anbu" 'and even myself' she added silently. It hurt her to see the boy she considered her little brother doing this, 'no' she corrected herself 'he is no longer a boy, but a man.'

Naruto had no wish to fight the village he still considered home. A second he stood in front of the ninja one minute, then with his great speed he was gone leaving a weeping Sakura behind.


	3. The letter

Here we go another chapter!

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Sakura walked the streets of Konaha, not to any destination she was just lost. Not lost in the village, no she knew that like the back of her hand. She was lost within herself. 'What now? What do I do? Should I just keep walking, hoping it might help? Was it this painful when Sasuke left? No when he left Naruto was there. When he left Naruto saved me. Whose going to save me now? Who can save me now? He's the only one, the only' Sakura wondered as she made her way through the endless streets of Konaha.

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Naruto walked according to the information brought to the village _"Hawk" _was hiding in the remnants of the sound village crippled and unable to leave in their current position. As Naruto walked he kept thinking. 'Sakura forgive me, I will bring him back. Sakura I know you will thrive I'm just glade I got to say good-bye, glade I got to see one last time, for this fight may be my last.' Each step took him closer and closer to his battle. He refused to let himself admit it but deep, deep down inside he knew this was for Sakura more than himself (not that he didn't wish to see his good friend). 'Uzumaki Naruto my name, my name that has brought fear, joy, anger, and relief in the end it just brings pain.

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There was a knock at the door. "Hokage-Sama" the voice of the knock spoke.

"Come in" Tsunade growled in a fowl mood with the lose of her "little brother".

An anbu Captain walked in. "We are now in full pursuit of Uzumaki Naruto with three squads of four" the masked ninja reported. "Forgive me for asking Hokage-Sama but don't you think twelve anbus and two backup squads is a little much?"

"Trust me we need any one we can get, you saw how fast he was no one saw him leave he was just gone. And to capture him will be hard." Tsunade had given the order not to kill Naruto but to capture him, as she could not bring herself to say any greater measures.

"Yes Hokage-Sama" the anbu Captain left the room.

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Sakura stopped walking to see where she had ended up. She looked up only to find herself standing in front of Narutos apartment building. She climbed up to his apartment and opened the unlocked door. 'Well why would he need to lock his door since he left' Sakura thought. Sakura stepped into his apartment and immediately noticed she could actually walk without worrying about stepping on something, the area was actually clean.

She wondered around the main room when a glint caught her eye from an open door. She walked past the open arch and found herself in Narutos bed room. She quickly found the source of the shine. 'His headband' she stared in awe. She crept closer to the treasured item that had meant so much to her lost comrade. There was a note too, she began to read Narutos messy handwriting.

_Dear Sakura-Chan_

_I knew you would find this, I knew you would come here, and so I left this, my last attempt at recompense. Sakura-Chan I, and everyone else know the deep love you harbor for Sasuke, and I more than any one else know ho much you hurt when he left. Sakura-Chan I want to make sure you never have to feel the pain of having your love not by your side for a second more. Sakura-Chan I will keep my promise its my nindo, my ninja way! Even if I suffer, even I'm rejected by my old friends, and even if I die I will not let you down!_

_Live with who you love and die for a cause, my philosophy, my rule,_

_Naruto_

Sakuras eyes swam in lingering tears as the worded paper went blurry. "Baka (idiot)" She spoke aloud "Your causing the pain you set out to help me avoid" she uttered to none but the winds ears. She put the letter, now dappled in water, in her pouch also containing her ninja tools, when something else caught her eye. Laying over the headband was Tsunades necklace that had been gifted to Naruto on the meeting to drag her to the Konaha. "Naruto" she whispered, storing the necklaces and headband with the letter and going to Tsunades office to show the new find, all except the letter.


	4. Perfect Storm

Get ready for a twist

oh ya I dont own Naruto...YET

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'Crap its raining' Naruto thought as he traveled the wide dirt path aiding him to his destination. 'Guess I'll find an inn, after all the map says there's a village not even ten minutes from here.' Naruto considered running but just ended up walking he didn't feel like running, he didn't really feel anything. The small village he ha located on the map earlier began to come into view. 'Its no Hidden Village but it'll do' Naruto thought.

Soon he found his way past the small wooden palisade surrounding the village, and to the closest inn.

"One room please," he told the man at the front desk as he paid for a few nights stay. The man gave him a key. "Thanks" Naruto muttered, this dreary weather was dampening his soul.

Naruto lay on the bed in his rented room. 'Alone again. An outcast once more. Sasuke you teme(bastard) this is your fault. You power drunken asshole!' Naruto thought his anger rising until…

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"Tsunade-Sama" Sakura called as she entered Tsunades office. "I found these in Narutos apartment." She gave Tsunade the headband and necklace. "Tsunade-Sama please let me go after Naruto."

Tsunade looked at the two new finds, then spoke "OK Sakura you can go, I'll prepare a squad you can travel with and-" Tsunade was interpreted by Sakura who had slightly different views.

"Please Tsunade-Sama I think it would be best if I went alone." Sakura pleaded.

Tsunade had seen Sakura and Naruto at the gate while waiting for the ambush, and she saw Naruto kiss Sakura. Tsunade sighed "OK Sakura, pack and leave when ever your ready." Tsunade agreed. 'I don't let Naruto go after Uchiha but I let Sakura go after Naruto. I guess I'm a little bias when it comes to retrievals.' She thought knowing she would go further to fetch Naruto rather then Uchiha.

Sakura opened the door and left the room, but once she was on the other side of the door she leaned against the wall holding Narutos letter to her heart having it be the only remembrance of the spiky haired blond she. After a few seconds she hurried off to pack.

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Sakura made her way to the village gates and saw Tsunade waiting for her.

"Make sure to give these back to Naruto." She said giving Sakura the necklace and his headband. Sakura didn't question her leaders wishes she just took the two items and placed them in her backpack.

"Thank you Tsunade-Sama" Sakura bowed before venturing out on the path Naruto had taken only twenty minutes before her.

Sakura didn't know how to describe it except for intuition, but Sakura seemed to know exactly where to go and witch turn to take (just hoping she didn't get lost).

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'Crap its raining' Sakura thought on her pursuit 'Good thing there's a town about thirty minutes ahead.'

"One room please" Sakura asked the man at the front desk. The man smiled as he gave the young women the last key signaling a good night for business. "Thank you" Sakura walked off to find her room. When she got upstairs she slipped and fell cursing the stupid weather making her accident prone.

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"Crap" Naruto said aloud as he heard a loud "thunk" outside his door. Naruto got off his bed o see what the noise was.

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Sakura had jus fallen when one of the room doors began to open…

To Be Continued


	5. Inches apart

I don't own Naruto BUT I own Kenji and Katsu. Katsu is a dude in my book but hes 21 in my book defenity not 21 here!

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Naruto opened the door of his room to find a young boy who had tripped on a bright red cape he wore on his shoulders that dragged on the floor.

"Hey kid, you alright?" Naruto asked. Little did Naruto know that Sakura was being asked the same question right down the hall at the top of the staircase.

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"Hey are you okay" A tall, muscular man with brown shaggy hair asked Sakura offering a hand to help her up.

Sakura blushed as she took the mans hand. "Yeah I'm fine." She replied to the handsome newcomer.

"Good to hear, we cant have someone as pretty as you getting hurt. Names Masashi Kenji." He introduced himself.

"Haruno Sakura." Sakura said. Kenji looked about her age not to mention he was easy on the eyes, but even his looks couldn't take her mind off Naruto.

"What room are you, Sakura-Chan?" Kenji asked .

"Um" Sakura said looking at the number on her key. "Seven" She confirmed.

"Oh that's right down here fallow me" Kenji led Sakura down the hall to the room facing eight.

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The kid sniffed "mh hm" He nodded weakly.

"Here come with me looks like you scarped your elbow ill clean it up for you" Naruto said; as he led the young boy into room eight right before a pink haired girl and a brown haired boy got to the room across the fall with a golden "7" showing the room number.

He had let the anger he was harboring for Sasuke go so he could tend to the little kids wound. "Kid what were you doing to fall like that."

"I have a name ya'know, its Daiki Katsu. Any way I was running but my cape was too long and-"

"And you tripped?" Naruto finished the sentence for Katsu.

"Hehehe yeah sorry 'bout the racket" Katsu smiled. "Hey what's your name"

'My name, my pain filled name' Naruto though. He sighed "I'm Uzumaki Naruto"

The boy, Katsu was wearing a long sleeve shirt and pants both a deep navy color. That reminded Naruto of what some of the chuunin and jounin wore under their vest (minus the red swirl on the sleeve).

"So Katsu shouldn't you be off with your parents?" Naruto wondered why such a young kid was hanging around a dingy old hotel (not that he was complaining about the quality of the hotel).

"Well you see" Katsus hand went to the back of his neck "my parents aren't exactly" he coughed 'er with us." He looked at Naruto hoping the older boy understood and wouldn't need any further or more detailed explanations. Luckily Naruto nodded understanding the boys situation.

"Then what are you doing here?" Naruto asked, still curios to the lone boy.

"Old man that owns this place lets me hang out here" Katsu grinned.

"Hm" was Narutos only response as he thought of all the 'old mans' he had addressed in the past. His heart started to get heavy as he thought of home. '_Past_ home' he reminded himself.

"

"Yo back to earth Naruto- niichan" that didn't help, Naruto as he thought of Konohamaru when he heard 'niichan'. "You okay?"

"Uh yeah I'm fine just have a lot of stuff on my mind" Naruto said half heartily.

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Sakura entered the room as Kenji politely held the door for her. It was a very nice, and showed he was a gentlemen, but it lacked something. It lacked a smile, no Kenji was smiling, but she wasn't at least not at heart. It lacked the way Naruto would be completely clueless to hold the door then act as if her had done nothing smile, that was what made her heart smile even if in those moments her fists swung instead. But now she had a polite smile plastered upon her search weary face and a heavy feeling in her chest.

"Are you okay, it looked like you took quit a fall" Kenji asked, a genuine look of concern on his face.

"Y-yeah I'm fine" Sakura blushed a little at the attention she was getting from Kenji. She got a different feeling around Kenji, she wasn't a ease it made her feel nervous. All she wanted was Narutos familiar company.

"Well I guess I should go, if you need anything just ask otherwise I'll see you for breakfast in the morning" his green eyes sparkled in almost the same way as Narutos bright cerulean eyes but they didn't contain the humor and good nature. He turned to leave. "See'ya!" and then he was gone.

Sakura leaned against the door and slowly sat down using the door to prop herself up.

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Across the hall Katsu had gotten tier and Naruto let him use his bed. Now Naruto sat in the same position as Sakura only feet apart with just two thin walls separating them.


End file.
